2015 Volvo V60 T5 Drive-E: No Crossover Needed

For a dark period in the 2000s Volvo pulled out of the wagon market in North America, convinced that crossovers were the way of the future.  Fortunately my favourite Swedish automaker eventually saw the light and realized that the wagon-in-everything-but-name XC70 wasn't going to cut it with the brand's built-in buyer base.  Enter the 2015 Volvo V60, a triumphant return to a segment that was once the company's bread and butter, and proof that family cars don't have to ride eight inches off of the ground to be appealing.

No Crossover

Just so that there was no possible confusion with a crossover of any kind, the version of the V60 I drove for a week didn't even come with all-wheel drive.  Instead, the 2015 Volvo V60 T5 featured a front-wheel drive setup motivated by Volvo's new Drive-E engine, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and turbocharged to produce 240 horsepower and up to 280 lb-ft of torque when overboost is activated (nominally the setup's good for 258 lb-ft of twist).

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You'd be hard-pressed to peg the T5 Drive-E as a four-banger in daily driving.  Mashing the pedal is enough to squirm the steering wheel in your hands as the car summons the full might of its friendly torque curve and brings it to bear on the front wheels.  On the highway acceleration is smoother, cresting 'adequate' and moving the needle into BMW territory.  It's an impressive achievement for a company not noted for excellence outside of the six-cylinder realm, and it shows just how many development dollars have been poured into Volvo's new drivetrain initiative.

If you really want all-wheel drive, it's available as an option with the V60 - but you have to upgrade to either a 250 horsepower, turbocharged five-cylinder mill or the model's top-tier, 325 horsepower turbocharged six-cylinder found in the T6 AWD R-Design.  A simpler six-speed auto comes with each, and you also won't enjoy the same high level fuel efficiency associated with the Drive-E engine (I saw 10.7 l/100 km in combined driving).

Practicality Incarnate

Despite its lack of body-cladding or ground clearance that will never see any real-world application, the 2015 Volvo V60 T5 manages to properly serve the transportation needs of the modern family.  A wake-up call to anyone who has been tricked into thinking that crossovers and SUVs are the only do-it-all haulers on the market, the Volvo V60 adds 566 litres of storage space to the S60 sedan platform it is based on, offering a total of 1,240 litres with the rear seats folded forward.  This is well in keeping with what a similarly-sized compact crossover would deliver, without the hassle of a tall lift-over at the tailgate when loading.  Passenger room is good in both the front and the rear of the V60, and the leather upholstery found in my Premium Plus trim level tester was respectably soft and supple (and a pleasing shade of tan).

Spoiler: It's Expensive

The 2015 Volvo V60 starts at an MSRP of $39,800, and stepping up to the Premium Plus trim adds several thousand on top of that.  Once you factor in the Climate package, Technology package, additional safety gear, and stand-alone options that came with my tester, you're right around the $49,000 mark.  That's a decent chunk of change, but bear in mind that a similar outlay barely gets you behind the wheel of a base BMW 3 Series wagon, which aside from its standard all-wheel drive doesn't offer half the features for the money that the Volvo brings to the table.  These include niceties such as a heated windshield, heated steering wheel, and heated front and rear seats, along with active HID headlights, all-speed adaptive cruise control, and nannies like lane keeping assistance, a blind spot monitoring system, Volvo's City Safety feature that automatically brakes the car should a pedestrian step out in front of it, and a monitoring system that tracks driver alertness.

Overall, it's a fine collection of equipment, and the Volvo V60's premium experience is marred only by dashboard styling and technological integration that feels somewhat behind its European rivals Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.  While the functionality is there, the presentation of the gauge cluster and centre stack leaves something to be desired, with a Scandinavian simplicity that verges on stark and robs some of the appeal of the cabin's cosiness.

Day-To-Day, Not Track Day

Something else that sets the Volvo V60 T5 apart from contemporaries like the BMW 3 Series wagon is its focus on comfortable cruising rather than all-out performance.  The V60's acceleration is certainly on par with that of the 328i xDrive, but from a handling perspective the front-wheel drive Volvo chassis is too vague and lacks the steering feedback and chassis responsiveness to be labelled sporty.

Which is absolutely fine, and in many ways refreshing.  I was perfectly happy to tool around in the V60 T5 and enjoy the Drive-E engine's excellent pull, the insulation of its softer suspension, and the snugness of its well-bolstered seats.  More than that, I appreciated having as much room to haul my gear as I would inside a crossover, but wrapped in a much more stylish package.  Consider the Volvo an alternative take on European luxury that doesn't nix practicality in the process.